Rayon spinning machine



NOV. 11, 1941. J COSTA RA'YoN SPINNING MACHINE Filed Deel 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l if N Nov. 11, 1941. J, l.. cosTA 2,262,097

' RAYON SPINNING MACHINEv I Filed Dec. 2, 1959 2 sheets-sheet 2 l aasepua s se ma, il mimi Patented Nov. 11, 1941 UNITED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE Y i v l f- 132,262,097'.` f

f RAYON SPINNING MACHINE Joseph YL..Costa, Woonsocket, R. I., assignor to Woonsocket Rayon Company, Woonsocket, R.'.I.,a,orporation of Rhode Island Appiieanon'neeembr 2, issa'serial No. 307,334

' (c1. 1ra- 8) 1 v 4 Claims.

This invention relatesto rayon spinning machines and, more particularly, to those of the pot spinning type.

As is well known to those familiar with the art, in such machines, inthe absence of some compensating mechanism, there is a constant variation in yarn size in the cake spun in the pot, resulting directly from the variation vin centrifugal pull exerted on the yarn by the pot. It h as heretofore been proposed to compensate for this variation by varying the speed of the Godet wheels from which the yarn is led to the pot, this'being accomplished by constantly and very gradually increasing the speedof the shaft driving these wheels. This method, while successful, is, however, disadvantageous in that it leads to considerable inconvenience in dofng and necessitates the use of a large crew in this operation. This isdue to the fact that, since all of the Godet wheels of a machine operate at the same speed, and this speed is changed as the cake formation progresses, at the time of removal of the cakes on doing it is impossible to restore the machine to its initial operating speed until all of the cakes have been doifed.

An important object of this invention is the provision of means whereby the effective speed of the Godet wheels, as regards the pull exerted on the yarn, may be varied while their actual speed remains constant, and this by a structure of such nature that the effective speed of `any given wheel may be reduced to the starting speed without affecting the `leffective speeds of any of the remainingwheels.

Another obj ect of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character which may be very readily applied to existing machines without materially altering the structure thereof.

Another object of the invention is to produce apparatus of this character which may be readily adapted for imparting a variable tension to the yarn, which may be varied to suit given conditions, and which may be varied independently of the tension exercised by the centrifugal effort exerted by the pot.

A still further object of the invention is the production of an apparatus of this character which may be readily and cheaply manufactured, which is simple in its construction and operation, and which will be durable and efcient in service.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings wherein, for the purpose of illustration, I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a rayonl spinning machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. I2;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified type'A of Godet Wheel.

The spinning machine fragmentarily illustrated in the drawings includes the usual complef ment of spinning pumps III, spinner'ets II, spinning pots I2 and Godet feed wheels I3. As in thev ordinary construction, the yarn passes from the spinneret about a guide I4, lat present shown as a Godet wheel, to the feed wheel I3 and thence to the pot I2. The Godet'feed wheels I3 are driven at the same and a constant speed from a main shaft I5.

These feedwheels, in lieu of being made cylindrical as in the ordinary construction, are provided with a tapered periphery I-6as more clearly shown in Fig. 4, this taper being determined in a large measure by the size and speed of the spinning pot employed and the thickness of the cake to Vbefornied therein. Adjacent the Godet wheel series a shaft I1 vis disposed, this shaft being driven at a constant speed which is necessarily, Vas will hereinafter appear, very slow. I

have at present illustrated-this shaft as driven from the shaft I5 which drives the Godet wheels through reduction gearing giving to the shaft IIA a very low ratio as compared to shaft I5. As at present shown, the reduction gearing is disposed within a Amain gear box I8 within which arear ranged stubishafts I9, 20, 2I and 22. Stub shaft I9 projects into the Godet housing 23 of the ma` chine and is driven directly from shaft I5. Shaft I9, through shaft 20, drives shaft 2l. Shafts 2I and 22 project through the outer face of gear box I8 and are provided at their outer ends with gears 24 and 25 which are made accessible through a removable cover plate 26 for ready changing topermit variation of the speed transmitted by shaft 2| to shaft 22. rectly drives the shaft I'I. The gearing connecnous between shafts I5 and 19, le and zu, zu and l 2l, and 22l and I1 are preferably of the worm type so that a very high reduction in speed is obtained.

Mounted upon shaft I'I adjacent each Godet wheel is a guide arm 21 which is frictionally engaged with the shaft to an extent insuring its movement'therewith but at the same time permitting manual shifting thereof. As at present shown, the upper end of this arm is formed as one-half of a hinged yoke 28, the sections of the shaft 22 dibracket 32 having a lateral finger 33 opposing.

the outer face of the arm. This stop is made adjustable through an adjusting screw 34 directed through the lateral finger adapted -to directly engage the arm 21.

It will be obvious that with rotation fshaft I1 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4

the arm, if projected outwardly until it engages stood as limiting myself thereto except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In rayon spinning machinery of the potspinning type, a plurality of rotating pots, a Godet wheel associated with each pot and feeding yarn thereto, said wheels having peripheries non-parallel tothe axis thereof, a shaft to drive said wheels, a housing enclosing said shaft and supporting said Godet wheels, a second shaft at the exterior of the housing and extending adja- V cent said Godet wheels, means to slowly rotate said second shaft, a. series of independent arms on said second shaft one for each Godet wheel, a thread guide on-each of said arms, and a frictional connection between each arm and the sec- 1 ond shaft whereby the arms are moved b'y the stop 34, will guide the yarn to a portion. of the Godet wheel having a relatively reduced diameter, this being the proper position for the arm at the beginning of the doffng operation. As the doffing continues, the rotation of lshaft I1will progressively move the arm 21 and will serve to constantly guide the yarn to portions of the Godet wheel having greater diameter. When the doffing is completed and the cake is removed from the pot, in order to begin operations it is merely necessary to engage the arm 21 with the hand and shift it outwardly until it re-engages with stop 34. As this is done without interrupting or varying the speed of rotation of shaft l1 in any way, there will be no variation in compensation in other pots on the same machine and it is, accordingly, possible for a. relatively small crew to handle the doiling operation.

While I have above described the apparatus as compensating for the change in the centrifugal effort exerted by the pot, it will, of course, be obvious that this variation in tension may be employed for other purposes, and need not be in exact accordance with the variation in centrifugal effort exerted by the pot, or even a direct function thereof. Obviously, the tapered section referred to as employed in the illustration may be varied as, for example, as shown in Fig. 5, wherein the periphery I 6a of the Godet wheel I3a is somewhat rounded, the exact formation of the periphery being varied to suit the conditions. In other words', this periphery may assume a variety of forms, all of which, however, will be substantially conical.

Since the construction herein illustrated is, obviously, but one of many forms which the invention may assume, I do not wish to be undershaft to shift the thread guides thereof in the direction of the axes of the associated Godet wheels, said frictional connections being of an order such that eachv` arm ymay be independently manuallyshifted about the second shaft without interrupting rotation thereof. v p

2. In rayon spinning machineryA of the potspinning type, a' plurality of rotating pots, a Godet wheel associated with each pot and feeding yarn thereto, 'said wheels having peripheries non parallel to the axis thereof, a shaft to drive said wheels, a housing enclosing said shaft and supporting said Godetwheels, a second shaft at the exterior of thel housing and extending adjacent said Godet wheels, means to slowly rotate vsaid secondshaft, a series of independent armson said second shaft one for veach Godet wheel, a thread guide on each of said arms, a frictional connecl tion between each arm and the second shaft whereby the arms are moved bythe shaft 'to shiftrthethread guides thereof in the direction of the axes of the associated Godet wheels, said frictional connections being ofV an"I order such'th'at each arm maybe independently manually shifted about the second shaft without` interrupting rota.,-` tion thereof, and any adjustable stopk associated with each arm and limiting manual, shifting 'of the arm against the frictional connectionthereof.

3. The structure of claim 1 whereinlthe means to drive said secondshaft comprises ge'aring'confA 

